As a slew of agencies and venues unveil their instant book
offerings, is the tide turning for booking small meetings, asks M&IT editor Paul Harvey...
Instant book has been a hot topic for so long it’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t talking about it in the sector.
But the fact is, the ability to book straightforward meetings online, out of office hours, has been unavailable to event professionals for far too long.
However, the last couple of weeks have seen agencies Inntel and
Venues and Events International and hotel group Leonardo (formerly Jury’s Inn)
unveil instant book for simple meetings.
The thing that has made the topic so frustrating until now is the apparent
simplicity of what eventprofs have been asking for. After all, booking rooms
for sleeping in has been available online 24 hours a day for so long, it’s now
unthinkable to not be able to do it. So why can’t we book rooms for meeting in with
the same ease?
Simple meetings are generally qualified as a one day meeting
for 20 delegates or less with standard catering and AV. For Inntel, these made
up 42 per cent of all booked meetings in 2022. It’s clear that by moving to
instant book, there will be huge cost, time and effort savings across the board
– for venues, clients and agents.
The associated savings will mean more time can be spent on more
complex enquiries, which should also result in better service and greater
client satisfaction. It’s a win-win situation, and a real game-changer for the sector.
Obviously, it’s not quite here yet for everyone. But the
current swell of offerings being unveiled feels like a turning of the tide. And
now it’s not a question of if we’re ever going to get instant booking for small
meetings, but when. Watch this space.
